The Mystery of the Labor Market: Rebecca Segedi Applies for Over 100 Positions Despite Master’s Degree
The Swedish labor market is paradoxical with a record-breaking shortage of labor and the EU’s highest unemployment rate. Rebecca Segedi is one of many with different perspectives on the job market and an example of someone who had to apply for over 100 jobs despite having a master’s degree.
Rebecca Segedi has always had some kind of job since she was 18 years old. Despite five years of study, she was unemployed for the first time. She still has the excel document where she logged her submitted job applications, which included 103 lines – all without success.
Rebecca Segedi’s experience is not unique in the current climate, with more people studying further and a technology-driven market creating new demands on education levels. According to Arbetsförmedlingen’s forecasts, there are plenty of jobs available for doctors, teachers, engineers and software developers. However, there is a lot of competition in areas such as banking, real estate, financial analysis and photography.
Peter Gladoic Håkansson, docent in economic history at Malmö University, points to this trend as creating a generational gap in terms of gender and class. “If this trend continues, it means that boys will not enter attractive education programs to the same extent” he explains.
Rebecca Segedi worked extra in a shop while she was looking for a job and reflects on the feeling that “what [she was] studying was worth nothing”. She advises those who have been searching for a job for a longer period to keep their cool and stay positive – “sooner or later it will work out”.
Her advice proved true when she stopped looking through traditional job ads and posted about her experiences on LinkedIn. This post received almost 27,000 views and companies started reaching out to her instead. Rebecca Segedi has now been employed as a digital advisor and project manager for six months at a tech company and reflects that “it was worth waiting for”.
In five years time, Rebecca Segedi believes “we will feel the aftermath of the pandemic” in the labor market – so what is the most important factor in securing the right skills in Sweden? Rebecca suggests that companies should become more open to new graduates who bring valuable competences and offer employees opportunity for skills development.
Rebecca Segedi is grateful for her studies which have given her different skills than her colleagues at work but if she had to change profession she would love to take up photography or work in training industry.
The Swedish labor market is complex with an ever-evolving demand for skills. Despite this, Rebecca Segedi’s story highlights the importance of staying positive and taking opportunities when they arise – even if you have to apply to over 100 jobs first!
